Camera



March 31, 1936. i B. HILL 2,035,9@3

CAMERA Filed Aug. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l QQOQQQOQ Patented Mar. 31, 1936 PATENT OFFICE CAMERA Lansing B. Hill, Santa. Alia,y Calif.

Application August 18,

2 Claims. This invention relates to an improvement in the construction and operation of a motion pic' ture camera, and the principal object is to provide means whereby photography can be utilized to take moving pictures, photographs and the like in the usual way and simultaneously distort them as they are reflected to a film, negative or the like, so that the images when projected or printed will be highly grotesque and humorous.

In other words by means of my improved motion picture camera I can easily and quickly transform an ordinary episode that is devoid of any pronounced humorous features into an exceedingly interesting humorous. moving picture. That is, my camera is provided with a series of mirrors or reflecting means that range in form from a plain, straight-faced mirror to both concave and convex mirrors arranged to receive an image from a. lens in the usual way and then transfer the image to a moving picture film, negative or the like where it will appear distorted, more or less, and also reversed as to its appearance.

By the foregoing means the right-handed actors of an episode will all appear as left-handed and vice versa, and by means of the curved mirrors they will or can be made to appear tall,

thin, short and fat, and gradually changing from one gure to the other by a gradual changing of the mirrors as the moving pictures are taken.

A feature of invention is shown in providing means for first projecting van image from a lens and then reflecting it to a moving picture film or negative and changing to variously curved mirrors to vary the form and appearance of the image to thereby obtain humorouseffects.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple means for reversing the image on a negative or illm so that in commercial use the negative neednot be stripped or turned when being transferred or printed on a metal plate ready for etching; and when so used I provide my camera with a plain straight-faced mirror for reflecting the image from the lens to the film, thereby saving both time and labor.

Another feature of invention is shown in providing means for utilizing variously curved mirrors to vary the appearance of an image in moving pictures.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings and detailed description thereof.

The accompanying drawings, which are prin- 1934, Serial No. 740,471

cipally semi-diagrammatic, illustrate this invention, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of a motion picture camera constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central section on line 2--2 of Fig. l, showing a turntable carrying a plurality of mirrors, any one of which can be turned into position to reflect an image from a lens to a moving picture fllm.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental front view of a moving picture film semidiagrammatically showing the top picture as reilectedfrom a plain straightfaced mirror and the pictures below it distorted by curved mirrors and reflected to the ilm illustrating how the camera can be used to produce comic moving pictures.

Fig. 4 is a front view of a slightly modified form of camera, with the shutter back of the lens illustrated diagrammatically.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the camera shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4 showing the camera provided with three mirrors that are interchangeable and which slide into place so they reflect an image from the lens to the negative or film.

Fig. '7 is a side view of the camera with the side door open to show the removable spools on which the film is supported in position to receive an image by reflection from one of the mirrors shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the lens, lm and mirrors shown in Fig. 6.

The motion picture camera shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive includes a casing I0 with a front end in which there is a lens I I with the usual shutter mechanism I2, the latter being indicated diagrammatically as any type of shutter mechanism can be employed, it being understood that it is opened and closed as may be necessary to take either one or more pictures, especially moving pictures.

'I'he casing I0 has a side extension I3 that is arranged at an angle of about forty-five degrees relative to a longitudinal plane through the camera, and this extension forms a film chamber I 4. There is a door I5 to this chamber that has a felt lining I6 that forms a background for the moving picture iilm I1 that is arranged out of normal focus with the lens.

The extension I3 has its upper end extended into the form of a drum I8 in which there is an upper reel I9 on which the moving picture film I1 is wound with its lower end secured to a lower reel 20 in a drum 2l that is a continuation of the lower end of the extension I 3.

The upper reel I8 is mounted on a shaft 22, and the lower reel 20 is mounted on a shaft 23 that is rotated by a crank 24 to move the motion picture lm i l, from the upper to the lower reel, and in passing from reel to reel the film passes through the chamber I4 where it can receive by reflection the imagesof the objects on which the lens il may be focused.

The means for reecting the images from the lens il to the film Il includes a circular housing 25 that is integral with the casing l il. There is a drum 26 in the housing 25 that is pivotally mounted on upper and lower bearings 2l and 28,

the latter being extended into a crank 29 whereby the drum 26 can be turnedto move one mirror out of and another into focus with the lens ll, and when a mirror is in focus with the lens li it will reiiect the images of the objects on which the lens is focused onto the moving picture film lll.

Preferably there are six mirrors on the drum, each arranged to be moved into focus with the lens ll.

The mirror 3G has a straight face and is designed to reflect the images from the lens ll to the film in true or exact detail without deviation in any respect, and the other mirrors 3l, 32, 33, 34, and 35 are intentionally curved and in graduated curvatures with the purpose of distorting the images from the lens I l before reecting them to the lm il, and by the foregoing means images can be-humorously distorted, it being understood that the table 26 is turned in synchrony with the movement of the llm. That is, when an image is to be distorted the mirrors are turned intime with the exposure of the lm. This feature is semi-diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3, in which it is assumed that the picture 36 was reflected by mirror 3U, after which the iilm Il was moved to position to receive another exposure, and the drum was actuated to move the mirror 36 out of focus and also move the slightly curved convex mirror 3| into focus with the lens Il on which exposure the picture 31 is shown as slightly distorted.

Another like movement of the nlm and drum brings the convex mirror 32 into position to reflect a greater distorted image to the ilm, as shown by picture 38. 4

It is obvious that as the convex mirrors 36 and 34 are moved into focus with the lens the image will continue to be distorted as illustrated by the pictures 39 and 40, and the concave mirror 35 will reversely distort the image as shown in picture |35.

As diagrammatically shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the drum is provided with stops 4l on its lower end that are engaged by a spring 42 to hold the mirrors in the right position for reflecting images from the lens to the lm.

From the foregoing it can be readily seen that vdetachable spool 49 and is extended down to a removable take-up spool 50, and the'lower spool is turned by the pin r5l, as best shown in Fig. '7, in which figure the side door of the camera is open to show the arrangement of the spools.

'Ihe removable sliding mirror 43 has a at face so it reects undistorted images from the lens il to the lm 46. The mirror 44 is concave and mirror 45 is convex so they distort the images from the lens lll as described.

It is assumed that the frames 52 of the mirrors 43, 44, and 45 are constructed so that when they engage the stop 4l the mirrors are in proper focus with the lens il.

It is also assumed that this camera can be provided with the usual camera attachment, but in the drawings only such parts are shown as are necessary to illustrate the construction and operation of this camera.

In Fig. 8 the frames 52 are omitted and three sliding mirrors 43, 44, and 45 are grouped, it being understood that they are each in focus with the lens H and film 48 when in use.

The camera shown in Figs. l and 2 has the extension 25 provided with a suitable door 1125 so the drum and its mirrors can be reached for cleaning, replacement of parts and repair; A

In use the camera is operated as described, using both ilat faced and curved mirrors, the former to simply reflect the image from the lens to the nlm so it is reversed, and the latter to distort the image and reflect it to the lm in a reverse order.

I claim as my invention:

l. A motion picture camera. including a casing, a lens therein, an oifset extension to said casing arranged angularly thereto and having a lm exposure chamber therein, a stationary drum on the upper end of .said extension, an upper reel in said drum on which a motion picture lm can be Wound, another stationary drum on the lower end of said extension, a take-up reel therein to which an end of the iihn on said upper reel can be secured, a crank for rotating 'said take-up 'reel`so the film on said upper reel will be moved down through said lm exposure chamber onto said take-up reel, a circular extension to said casing arranged opposite said oiset extension, a revolving drum therein, a plurality of curved mirrors on said drum arranged to be consecutively moved into focus with said lens so they will receive images from said lens and reflect them to the moving picture lm, said mirrors curved so theywill distort said images, Vand means for rotating said revolving drum.

2. A motion picture camera including a casing, a lens therein, an offset extension to said casing having a motion picture iilm therein arranged out of normal focus with said lens, another extension to said casing having a drum therein, a plurality of distorting mirrors arranged on said drum so they can besuccessively moved into focus with said lens to reflect images therefrom to the motion picture iilm, a crank for rotating said drum, stops on the lower ends of said drum,

and a spring for engaging said stops to hold said 70 mirrors as they are successively moved into focus with lsaid lens.

, LANSING B. HILL. 

